Post navigation

I first planted ground cherries maybe 4-5 yrs ago. Since then, my garden is never without them. They reseed themselves easily. In fact, the ones that planted themselves seem to be bigger and healthier! Just like you, I’m not all that crazy about them and not sure what else to do with them, so most of them just fall to the ground and stay there! 🙂

I grew them for the first time last spring and really liked them. The tricky part was getting them to ripen. They had to sit for a week or two. I saved about a dozen for seeds and they never really dried out even after several months. I ended up squishing them in a bowl of water, removing the pulp, and letting the seeds drop to the bottom. Then I strained them in a fine mesh strainer. I’ll plant them again in October once the weather breaks here in SW FL.

I love them as a novelty, especially since they grow wild in my yard. They tend to be a bit bitter when under-ripe (and they’re slightly toxic). I’ve heard the flavor can vary from type to type. If you don’t like the type you have, plant another variety and see how that tastes!